Chitimacha
The Chitimacha (/ˈtʃɪtɪməʃɑː/ CHIT-i-mə-shah; or /tʃɪtɪˈmɑːʃə/ chit-i-MAH-shə) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans who live in the U.S. state of Louisiana, mainly on their reservation in St. Mary Parish near Charenton on Bayou Teche. They are the only Indigenous people in the state who still control some of their original land, where they have long occupied areas of the Atchafalaya Basin, "one of the richest inland estuaries on the continent." In 2011 they numbered about 1100 people.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1250 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States ( Louisiana) | |
| Languages | |
| English, French, Cajun French, Chitimacha (No fluent speaker. Successful at reviving the language.) | |
| Religion | |
| Catholicism, other |
The people historically spoke the Chitimacha language, a language isolate. The last two native speakers died in the 1930s, but the tribe has been working to revitalize the language since the 1990s. They are using notes and recordings made by linguist Morris Swadesh around 1930. They have also started immersion classes for children and adults. In 2008 they partnered with Rosetta Stone in a two-year effort to develop software to support learning the language. Each tribal household was given a copy to support use of the language at home. The Chitimacha have used revenues from gambling to promote education and cultural preservation, founding a tribal museum and historic preservation office, and restoration of their language.
The Chitimacha are one of four federally recognized tribes in the state. The State of Louisiana does recognize several other tribes who do not have federal recognition. In the late 20th century, Louisiana had the "third-largest Native American population in the eastern United States."